|
Aero737 posted:Well those steel coils are glowing red hot. People say electric stoves don't make enough heat, but I find they make more than enough. Maybe not as much as a wok burner or turkey fryer, but they put out more heat that a standard gas range. Yeah, I'm sure it would be good, but you don't get those flames coming up over the side. Also, you need a flat bottom wok to work with electric for good heat transfer. Don't use closed wok rings like this http://www.amazon.com/MV-TRADING-CO-Wok-Ring/dp/B00012F3X6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329463002&sr=8-1 on stoves if you're using a round bottom - make sure it's a wire wok ring like this http://www.amazon.com/Joyce-Chen-J31-0063-Chrome-Steel/dp/B00004RBTL/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1329463002&sr=8-2. If you use the closed type, you'll damage the enamel on the stove. My rental house only has a glass top so I had to buy an outdoor burner. Thankfully stir-frying doesn't take but a few minutes at most so even in the winter it's no big deal.
|
#
?
Feb 17, 2012 08:18
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 13, 2024 21:45 |
|
|
I have an electric range and was looking at the cast iron flat-bottom wok http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-Logic-Cast-Iron-Black/dp/B00063RXQK/ It seems incredibly heavy though. Would I be ok with a 10" skillet instead? http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-Logic-10-Inch-Chefs-Skillet/dp/B00008GKDJ/ref=sr_1_4?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1329689940&sr=1-4 Or should I just look at the carbon woks? SnowWolf fucked around with this message at 23:25 on Feb 19, 2012 |
|
#
?
Feb 19, 2012 23:18
|
|
|
SnowWolf posted:I have an electric range and was looking at the cast iron flat-bottom wok http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-Logic-Cast-Iron-Black/dp/B00063RXQK/ Just get a carbon steel one, they're thinner and lighter than that lodge and will be easier to both handle and cook with.
|
|
#
?
Feb 20, 2012 01:58
|
|
|
I went ahead and gave the wok another try last night on medium high and it worked out a lot better, I'll just need to play with the temperatures I guess. Does anyone have any recommendations for a good/not overly expensive carbon steel flat bottom wok? I might still get one.
|
|
#
?
Feb 22, 2012 01:30
|
|
|
smashthedean posted:I went ahead and gave the wok another try last night on medium high and it worked out a lot better, I'll just need to play with the temperatures I guess. Does anyone have any recommendations for a good/not overly expensive carbon steel flat bottom wok? I might still get one. Pearl River does a pretty solid one: http://pearlriver.com/v2/FramesSearch.asp?search=wok&btnSearch.x=0&btnSearch.y=0&btnSearch=GoSearch
|
|
#
?
Feb 22, 2012 05:33
|
|
|
If I'm cooking on a glass range, should I be using a wok ring? I ask because I plan on purchasing a wok in the next few days and need to know if I should purchase a ring as well.
|
|
#
?
Feb 24, 2012 04:59
|
|
|
Buy a chimney starter and cook on that instead.
|
|
#
?
Feb 24, 2012 13:01
|
|
|
Kenning posted:Buy a chimney starter and cook on that instead. Certainly is a great idea if you want to get a good amount of heat but don't want the expense of a full on propane burner setup. The charcoal will work better than an electric glasstop. Might I suggest a Weber chimney since they are built quite well compared to cheaper chimneys. If you can do metal work or know someone who can, even better to make something out of even thicker gauge steel to have it last longer.
|
|
#
?
Feb 24, 2012 17:37
|
|
|
Kenning posted:Buy a chimney starter and cook on that instead. Is this actually a thing? Conceptually, it makes sense; I've just never seen it done before.
|
|
#
?
Feb 24, 2012 17:46
|
|
|
RHIN0002 posted:Is this actually a thing? Conceptually, it makes sense; I've just never seen it done before. It makes sense. A chimney half full of charcoal creates a hell of a lot of heat. You just need to figure out a way to make it be able to escape out the top and maintain circulation for the coals. I'd think that a big decent chimney starter and maybe a charcoal grate put on top to rest the wok on to let the airflow through will be a good start. Finding a place to rest the chimney as you cook, where it won't catch things on fire, and while having the wok be around waist level may be a challenge, as well as being careful to not tip it over and spill the entire load of coals onto your feet. Fuel may be a bit more expensive over the long run, but the simplicity of the setup is nice. It will work well enough to get your feet wet with real wok cooking without a hundred bucks worth of gear to start out.
|
|
#
?
Feb 24, 2012 18:12
|
|
|
RHIN0002 posted:Is this actually a thing? Conceptually, it makes sense; I've just never seen it done before. AB did it on his seared tuna ep. He put a grill on top and used it for searing. He also broiled a porterhouse underneath one for his porterhouse ep. I've never thought about using one for wokking, but it's a great idea. The only concern I would have is having a chimney with a wide enough mouth to sturdily hold a wok. And that is a lot of prep time for something that takes less than 5 min to cook. I still think FGM's turkey fryer solution is the best for the money. GrAviTy84 fucked around with this message at 21:52 on Feb 24, 2012 |
|
#
?
Feb 24, 2012 21:49
|
|
|
Finally purchased some szechuan peppercorns from the internet. I'm not one to shy away from anything edible and I've acquired tastes for some of the stranger foods from around the world. But, I think it's safe to say that these little balls of tongue numbing disgustingness are probably the worst things I've ever tasted. I'm sure it's like when you are little and taste unsweetened chocolate when your mother is baking - before it's made into something amazingly awesome. At least, I hope it's like that. So how do I prepare these things for a dish, in general? Heat them in a dry pan? Smash them up? Throw them in a pepper mill? Fine or coarse? Should they have little bit's of sticks and stems mixed in with them? Do I need to care about those?
|
|
#
?
Feb 26, 2012 03:00
|
|
|
PorkFat posted:Finally purchased some szechuan peppercorns from the internet. I'm not one to shy away from anything edible and I've acquired tastes for some of the stranger foods from around the world. Remove the shiny black seeds and the twigs, you just want the outer shell. They should taste lemony and numbing. I usually either spice grinder or mortar and pestle. Using them raw will be more intense than toasted, counter intuitively. I like them as finely ground as I can get them.
|
|
#
?
Feb 26, 2012 03:15
|
|
|
GrAviTy84 posted:Remove the shiny black seeds and the twigs, you just want the outer shell. They should taste lemony and numbing. I usually either spice grinder or mortar and pestle. Using them raw will be more intense than toasted, counter intuitively. I like them as finely ground as I can get them. Ah, interesting. I thought the black seeds were the bit that I wanted. But it crumbled into an almost hard, sandy consistency against my teeth. Good to know. I don't know about lemony; from the little bit I popped in my mouth, it was almost like menthol eucalyptus cough drops.
|
|
#
?
Feb 26, 2012 03:22
|
|
|
I would also suggest toasting and then grinding. Mapo tofu is a good beginners Sichuan peppercorn dish, and so is Chongqing style chili chicken. I really didn't enjoy the sensation of Sichuan peppercorns at first, but I've grown to like them quite a lot.
|
|
#
?
Feb 27, 2012 01:26
|
|
|
In addition to grinding them to be used in cooking, I also fry the whole peppers (Gravity84 is correct that the seeds come out but it is to much work for me) in oil until fragrant. Then I can either take them out and use the oil in whatever dish I was making or just continue with the peppers in there. The latter case, the entire dish will turn your tongue numb and the flavor is rather strong. I have also made the Cold Sliced Meats recipe on Page 4. Highly recommend you try it out with the peppers.
|
|
#
?
Feb 27, 2012 22:33
|
|
|
I'm trying to locate recipes for a dish I had made for me by family friends who'd moved over from China, Beijing I think. The was a few years ago so all that I remember about it was scrambled eggs, cucumbers, green onions and awesome taste. So I found this one: http://www.travelchinaguide.com/tour/food/chinese-cooking/fried-egg-cucumber.htm Are there any variations on it that I should look for, for extra flavor?
|
|
#
?
Feb 28, 2012 19:30
|
|
|
 Ma Po Tofu, using Sjurygg's guide from the GWS wiki. Freaking delicious. Just substituted the pork for minced mushrooms. Served with steamed rice and sesame ginger broccoli. I've never cooked with sichuan peppercorns before. So delicious, so numbing.
|
|
#
?
Mar 2, 2012 01:58
|
|
|
Speaking of sichuan peppercorns (seems to be popular here), I have a recipe for kung pao chicken for anyone curious. I’m recalling this completely from memory, it’s been a while since I’ve done this recipe and I might be slightly off with the proportions or ingredients in the sauce, but it should be pretty good regardless. Footnotes at bottom. I don't want to seem like a low-effort poster so I'll include a picture with the caveat that it's a really old picture and the chicken didn't come out perfectly. And did I mention it's old? Maybe I'll remake this soon and take a respectable picture.  Kung Pao Chicken. Serves 2. 20 oz. chicken, diced into 3/4" cubes 3 oz. unsalted roasted peanuts 1 tsp. sichuan peppers, toasted and ground [1] 1 oz. scallions, white part only, sliced thin (approximately 1 bunch) 1 tsp. chili flakes [2] 16 dried chili pods [3] 1 tsp. garlic, finely minced 1/2 tsp sesame oil potato starch for coating chicken [4] Marinade: [5] 1 egg white 1 tsp soy sauce 1 tsp sesame oil 1 tbsp distilled rice spirit 1 1/2 tbsp corn starch (I’m just BSing the marinade proportions, honestly I just eyeball it.) Sauce: 2 tb. low sodium chicken stock 4 tb. light soy sauce 1 tb. white vinegar 1 tb. michiu [6] 1 tb. dark soy sauce 1 tb. oyster sauce 1/2 tb. sugar Green part only for 2 scallions [7] 1. Combine ingredients for sauce. Let green parts of scallion sit in the sauce for at least 15 minutes. The longer the better, though. 2. Marinade chicken. Let sit for a little, then coat evenly in potato starch. [8] 3. Deep fry the chicken. 4. Remove scallion from sauce. 5. Put some cooking oil in the wok (instead of vegetable oil, peanut oil = great choice). Add aromatics: garlic, sliced green onion, and chili pods. Stir. Add sauce (sans green part of scallion) after a few seconds. Then add chicken. Stir. Toss in half tsp of sesame oil. Add chili flakes, peanuts, and sichuan peppers. Stir more. Serve. Footnotes: [1] Substitute more peanuts if sichuan peppers are unavailable, but the sichuan peppers are highly recommended for both authenticity’s sake and for the unique flavor sensation. [2] Substitute 1 tsp sambal oelek, garlic chili paste, or even cayenne pepper, if you must. I personally have a high spice tolerance so this version of the dish isn’t particularly spicy to me, but I wrote the recipe to appeal to most people. When I make it, I use 1 tsp chili flakes, 2 tsp sambal oelek. To other people this dish might be too spicy, and they can omit the chili flakes. Adjust the spice as desired. [3] The chili pods are aromatic and decorative; directly consuming them is not suggested unless you have massive balls. Substitute some red bell pepper if you can’t handle heat. [4] Substitute corn starch. [5] The marinade is pretty typical of any in Chinese cuisine, with the addition of the egg white which is useful for coating the chicken in potato starch. So you can just do whatever you usually do here, plus egg white. [6] Substitute sake. I don’t feel shaoxing is as appropriate for this recipe as michiu, but that’s also a potential substitute. [7] Chop coarsely, if at all; cutting scallions too much and then letting it sit gives it a less desirable soapy flavor over time. [8] The coating and subsequent deep frying is what’s going to get the sauce to stick to the chicken and make the dish beautiful as gently caress. The recipe works out to a wee bit over a half cup of sauce for two servings. There really shouldn’t be any sauce in the bottom of the wok; it should all coat the food perfectly --- I have a couple pretty bangin Chinese recipes. Maybe I'll post my coconut curry veggies recipe soon. ovanova fucked around with this message at 07:22 on Mar 2, 2012 |
|
#
?
Mar 2, 2012 06:59
|
|
|
ovanova posted:I have a couple pretty bangin Chinese recipes. Maybe I'll post my coconut curry veggies recipe soon. Are you sure that would be "Chinese"? It sounds pretty "pan Asian". Let's keep this thread Chinese, thanks for the Kung Pao contribution, though.
|
|
#
?
Mar 2, 2012 07:21
|
|
|
Probably pan-Asian. I dunno to be honest, I just assumed coconut curry was a Chinese thing because I've seen premade koon chun bottles of the stuff. I have quite a few Asian vegetarian recipes (everyone I've ever dated has been vegetarian and the longest/most serious/most recent ex-SO was Chinese), but everyone has posted a goddamn mapo tofu recipe recipe so I'll pass on that.
|
|
#
?
Mar 2, 2012 07:27
|
|
|
ovanova posted:...but everyone has posted a goddamn mapo tofu recipe recipe so I'll pass on that. Well, I'm interested! Could you please post a few of these recipes that aren't Ma Po Tofu?
|
|
#
?
Mar 2, 2012 17:55
|
|
|
I wanna confirm they're Chinese before I start digging up and trying to figure out old recipes. I have a weird culinary background including experience in two Asian-fusion restaurants (Japanese-French, and Pan-Asian-American). Nothing explicitly Chinese though.
|
|
#
?
Mar 2, 2012 18:41
|
|
|
ovanova posted:I wanna confirm they're Chinese before I start digging up and trying to figure out old recipes. I have a weird culinary background including experience in two Asian-fusion restaurants (Japanese-French, and Pan-Asian-American). Nothing explicitly Chinese though. Given our new less mega-thready GWS policy, just make a new thread for Pan-Asian food. A recipe and some pics would start such a thread off nicely.
|
|
#
?
Mar 2, 2012 19:03
|
|
|
And there's absolutely nothing wrong with a thread just for a single recipe that you made.
|
|
#
?
Mar 2, 2012 20:11
|
|
|
I've been wanting to make some Lo Mein akin to what I get at local places around Columbus but it seems like most recipes I find use soba noodles as opposed to udon (The closest equivalent I can find to what the restaurants near me use). Does anyone happen to have any recipes for good Chinese fired noodle dishes using those thicker noodles? Edit: A little further research has led me to believe that what I'm trying to make is Shanghai Lo Mein. Does that sound right? Nickoten fucked around with this message at 09:03 on Mar 3, 2012 |
|
#
?
Mar 3, 2012 08:59
|
|
|
Nickoten posted:I've been wanting to make some Lo Mein akin to what I get at local places around Columbus but it seems like most recipes I find use soba noodles as opposed to udon (The closest equivalent I can find to what the restaurants near me use). Does anyone happen to have any recipes for good Chinese fired noodle dishes using those thicker noodles? Shanghai noodles are the thicker Chinese noodles.
|
|
#
?
Mar 3, 2012 21:01
|
|
|
ovanova posted:
I love those things, I always think I got a dud and then 10 seconds later the punishment starts.
|
|
#
?
Mar 4, 2012 14:22
|
|
|
What is the method used to cook the eggs that are in fried rice? I used to just crack an egg into the pan and stir it up with everything, but that didn't yield the chunks of egg that I love so much. Recently when making fried rice I'll scramble an egg with a touch of salt and pepper, then cook using a dab of sesame oil in the pan, set it aside, then add it to the fried rice as I add all my other ingredients. This is usually good but it just isn't exactly the way it is in chinese restaurants. Another thing I've had in fried rice is those chopped up preserved vegetables (mustard root), I love em. Anyone have a preferred brand of that they buy? Also Joe's Shanghai in NYC (yeah it's touristy whatever it's still good Shanghai-nese for Manhattan) does an egg and scallion fried rice that is really good and I can't figure out how they get it to taste the way it does, anyone know that recipe? In general my go to at home fried rice dish that I make is: A bunch of day old cooked rice Some lap cheong Onion & scallion Oyster sauce & soy sauce Rice wine vinegar or xiaoxing wine, whatever I have on hand Scrambled egg Peas (ain't nothin wrong with dumping in frozen bird's eye peas imho) No need to go into cooking method because fried rice has been mentioned before somewhere in the thread I think.
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2012 04:28
|
|
|
When I use egg in fried rice, it's the last thing that I add. I'll simply push everything to the side, leaving a patch of bare pan, add a touch of oil till it's hot, then add the egg, quickly scrambling them. Before they get browned but after they're fully set, mix everything together. Oops, I lied. Sometimes I'll add a handful of fresh or frozen peas as the last ingredient.
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2012 04:36
|
|
|
sanosuke21 posted:What is the method used to cook the eggs that are in fried rice? I used to just crack an egg into the pan and stir it up with everything, but that didn't yield the chunks of egg that I love so much. Recently when making fried rice I'll scramble an egg with a touch of salt and pepper, then cook using a dab of sesame oil in the pan, set it aside, then add it to the fried rice as I add all my other ingredients. This is usually good but it just isn't exactly the way it is in chinese restaurants. I add the eggs towards the end, clearing a space in the pan and pouring in a beaten egg. You get bigger pieces in the final dish by having it be more cooked before you stir it into the rice. As far as flavor goes, while I haven't eaten at the restaurant you mentioned, your recipe looks a little weird to me. I've never added oyster sauce or rice vinegar or xiaoqing wine to fried rice, I just add soy sauce right at the end and that combined with the rice caramelizing in the hot pan gives a ton of flavor, with pretty much everything else coming from whatever you put in the fried rice. This is off topic, but I made pineapple fried rice the other day with some leftover veggies and pineapple and some bacon and it was absolutely incredible. It's a dish I'd never even consider ordering at a restaurant. Worth making at home, for sure.
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2012 04:50
|
|
|
AriTheDog posted:
The recipe I posted has nothing to do with my mention of the restaurant and my request for that recipe. I was just sharing my lazy throw a bunch of crap in rice and fry it dish that isn't traditional in any way.
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2012 05:01
|
|
|
I fry the egg first. Makes for better fried egg and bigger egg morsels. Really hot pan, some oil, then the eggs in to bloom. They blow up spectacularly, take about fifteen seconds to get done. Then I add rice, pinch MSG, pinch salt, shaking white pepper and fry for a couple of minutes. Usually I add a bit of chopped scallions as well. I usually never add anything else, egg fried rice 4 lyfe (it's AWESOME with fried sausages and Heinz chili sauce on the side  )
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2012 09:48
|
|
|
I usually do the push to the rice to the side then add the egg. Then when the egg is just coagulated but still runny I mix it into the rice. I will sometimes add some oyster sauce, it adds a nice flavor that soy alone can't do. Honestly though, fish sauce, palm sugar, and lime juice or tamarind juice makes the best fried rice, but that is a Thaithing.
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2012 10:09
|
|
|
Secret cheat mode for tasty Thai-style fried rice: tom yum paste. I'm goddamn serious.
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2012 10:39
|
|
|
Sjurygg posted:Secret cheat mode for tasty Thai-style fried rice: tom yum paste. I'm goddamn serious. Seconding this. It's a match made in heaven. I always start egg first, cooking it fully, then I chop it into 7 or 8 optimally sized pieces. But seriously, add tom yum paste and you'll never go back. I love mine with tons of mushrooms too.
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2012 18:59
|
|
|
My Chinese landlady taught me how to make these delicious dumplings. I'm not sure how the name is normally written. It sounds kind of like "Gee-ow't'zuh" said aloud. ('Though I didn't always get the pronunciation quite right.) I apologize for the lack of pictures and exact measurements. I generally go by sight and smell to tell when it's got the right balance of spices and flavours. My husband kept an eye on me the last time I made these and filled in some approximate measurements for me. I will try to update with a more detailed recipe and pictures when I can. Pork and Cabbage Dumplings ~2 lbs. ground pork or 1 lb. of ground pork mixed with 1 lb. of ground beef ~1 c. sauerkraut (I know! Not Chinese, but that's what my landlady used!) 1/2 large yellow onion, very finely minced 2-4 cloves garlic, very finely minced* scallions, very finely minced granulated garlic ginger powder five spice powder black pepper ~3 Tbsp. dark soy ~4-6 Tbsp. light soy dumpling wrappers (I prefer to use round ones, but square work too) Making the filling: Squeeze as much liquid as possible out of the sauerkraut then finely mince it and add it to the ground meat along with the minced onion and garlic, and scallions. Add other seasonings until mixture smells right. (Lots of garlic!)** Forming the dumplings: Put a small amount of filling in the centre of each dumpling wrapper. Wet your finger with some water and run it along one half of the edge of the wrapper. Fold wrapper over and pinch closed. Cooking: Dumplings can now be cooked by whatever method you prefer. My landlady liked to boil them. I like to "steam-fry" them. This involves cooking them in a hot, covered pan with both oil and water. I find it gives them a much nicer consistency than frying alone would. They can probably also be steamed as well, though I've never tried this myself. Sauces: I also like to serve these with some sort of sauce. Plain soy sauce works fine. Or soy + chili oil. My favourite so far though: Dumpling sauce a few tablespoons of soy suace ~1 Tbsp. mustard oil - you can find this in Indian grocery stores, it'll probably say "for external use only". Don't worry, it's perfectly fine to cook with/eat. a dash of hot sauce ginger powder garlic powder/granulated garlic black pepper sesame seeds Just mix it all together and dip your dumplings in it. Delicious! * I suspect that garlic paste would work well here. I may also try substituting the ginger powder for ginger paste. (Both can be found in Indian grocery stores.) ** I've tried using only fresh minced garlic, but I can't seem to get the right balance/smell without adding at least a little granulated garlic or garlic powder. Also, just a warning: this makes A LOT of dumplings! They're really good though and you can freeze them once the dumplings are formed but before they're cooked. Pop them straight out of the freezer and into a pot of hot water if you're just looking to boil them!
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2012 20:16
|
|
|
Jiaozi. Empires have been built in those. The first syllable has a dipping tone, the second one has a "neutral" tone and has a vowel sound that's articulated a bit further into the mouth than the normal American "ee" sound. Ginger and garlic paste is just as easily substituted by chopping the fresh stuff. It's hella better, but if it's right for you that's good  The sauerkraut is a cool combo and sounds pretty good to me. I'd add some boiled napa cabbage as well, though. My favourite dipping sauce with jiaozi is xinkiang (hshin-kyang) vinegar, a black, savoury rice vinegar.
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2012 20:23
|
|
|
Sjurygg posted:egg fried rice 4 lyfe (it's AWESOME with fried sausages and Heinz chili sauce on the side I gave myself twelve hours, I lasted even longer. I so deserved this.   Goddammit I love egg fried rice. Keep your ham and shrimp and chicken and peas and whatever. The sausages are not Chinese, but at the same time, they are also very much so. It's difficult to explain.
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2012 22:07
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 13, 2024 21:45 |
|
|
Sjurygg posted:Jiaozi. Empires have been built in those. I fail at tonal languages forever, but I still appreciate knowing how it's supposed to sound/work. Also, I just picked up some black vinegar today. I'm anxious to give it a try. e: Just made Gravity's pork with garlic sauce from the first page. It's thoroughly awesome! Will definitely be hanging on to the recipe. Symbol fucked around with this message at 01:36 on Mar 6, 2012 |
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2012 23:33
|
|